John Wooden Tops The List Of Honorees For The Pac-10 Basketball Hall Of Honor Inaugural Class

Courtesy: UCLA Athletics Release: 11/02/2001

Nov. 2, 2001

Legendary Bruin coach John Wooden heads a list of 10 former conference coaches and athletes that the Pac-10 Conference will honor with their induction into the Pac-10 Hall of Honor, during the 2002 Pac-10 Postseason Men's Basketball Tournament, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (March 7-9).

During his 27 years (1949-75) as the Bruin men's basketball coach, Wooden led UCLA to a record 10 NCAA Championships (1964-65-67-68-69-70-71-72-73-75), including seven titles in a row from 1967-73, and 19 conference crowns. His overall Bruin record was 620-147 (80.8), including a 316-68 (82.3) conference mark. Wooden coached the Bruins to 17, 20+game winning seasons, including four perfect 30-0 campaigns. During his tenure in Westwood, he coached 24 first-team All-Americans and 11 Academic All-Americans. Wooden is the first individual to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1960, Wooden was an All-American at Purdue, 1930-32) and coach (1972). Since retiring after the 1974-75 season, his numerous honors have included - NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Sportsman Award (1995), ESPN Greatest Coach of the 20th Century (1999) and Naismith Men's College Coach of the 20th Century (2000).

Pete Newell is the other coach in the Pac-10 Hall of Honor inaugural class. In 1949 he led San Francisco to the NIT title and in 1959, he directed California to the NCAA crown. In 1960, Newell led the U. S. to the Gold Medal at the Olympics.

The players in the first Pac-10 Hall of Honor are -

Arizona's Sean Elliott - the Wildcats' all-time leading scorer (2,555) and the school's first two-time All-American (1988-89), Elliott was awarded the 1989 Wooden Award. He was a member of the 1999 San Antonio Spurs NBA championship team.

Arizona State's Byron Scott - an All-Pac-10 guard, Scott led the Sun Devils in scoring in 1981 and '83. He played 14 years in the NBA, winning three NBA crowns with the Lakers (1985-87-88). He's the head coach of the New Jersey Nets.

Oregon's John Dick - the lone surviving member of Oregon's 1939 national championship team. Known as the "Tall Firs", Oregon defeated Ohio State 46-33, behind Dick's team-leading 13 points in the very first NCAA Championship game in Evanston, IL.

Oregon State's Gary Payton - the Sports Illustrated 1990 Player of the Year, Payton is OSU's all-time leading scorer (2,172), sixth in the Pac-10 and is the career conference leader in assists (938) and steals (321). The NBA All-Star guard is entering his 12th season with the Seattle Supersonics.

Stanford's Hank Luisetti - a three-time All-American and two-time College Player of the Year, Stanford's Hank Luisetti revolutionized the game with his one-handed shot during the 1930s. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Citizens Saving Foundation Basketball Hall of Fame, he holds the oldest record in Stanford basketball history (50 points in 92-27 victory over Duquesne, Jan. 1, 1938).

USC's Bill Sharman - an All-American selection at USC in 1950, Sharman played 11 years in the NBA, winning four NBA titles with the Boston Celtics. His right-handed push shot, with the ball held at eye-level, was responsible not only for his free throw accuracy, but for his accuracy all over the court (he never shot worse than 80.0 from the foul line in any NBA season). Named seven-times to the All-NBA team, Sharman played in eight NBA All-Star games.

Washington's Bob Houbregs - in 1953, Houbregs was honored as a consensus All-American and the Helms Athletic Foundation's NCAA Player of the Year. His 1,774 career points was a Washington record for 34 years and still ranks No. 2 in school history. His 846 points as a senior in 1953 is No. 3 in Pac-10 single-season history. Houbregs, along with guard teammate Joe Cipriano, led the Huskies in 1953 to the NCAA Final Four, finishing in third-place.

Washington State's Craig Ehlo - At WSU from 1981-83, he led the Cougars to their last NCAA Tournament win, scoring 18 points in a 62-52 victory over Weber State in 1983. He paced Washington State that season with 136 assists in Pac-10 play, a school single-season record that still stands today. During his 14-year NBA career, Ehlo was a member of 11 playoff teams.